Door



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. H. LOMAX DOOR Filed' Jan. 26, i940 INVENTOR 74 hn.HjLomaw ITNESSES J. H. LOMAX July 1, 1941.

DOOR

. Filed Jan. 26, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR v .LhnJLLomax BY M MM PATTORNEYS J. H. LQMAX July 1, 1941.

DOOR

Filed Jan. 26, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ywiwm 53 I JohnJLLomax BY v /ATTORNEYS C 6 wrmzssss 3 Patented July 1, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE DOOR John H. Lomax, Asbury Park, N. J. Application January 26,1940, Serial N0. 315,727

.(CL 20-19) f 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in doors, particularly doors tobe used in the entranceways of garages, industrial buildings or similarstructures.

It is an object of the invention to provide a i door of the abovecharacter which is of compact construction and which requires arelatively smallamount of space even when shifting between open andclosed position.

A further object is to provide a door which is not cumbersome and whichis relatively light and maineuverable as'compared with other doors ofsimilar size and purpose.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a'door of the abovecharacter which has improved operating mechanism for opening and closingthe door and which may be either manually or automatically controlled.

A further object of the invention is the provision of improved lockingmechanism for a door of the above character. 2

Among other'objects is the provision of a door particularly suited foruse in the entranceways of garages and similar structures which isrelatively economical to manufacture but nevertheless rugged inconstruction. I

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a doorembodying my invention illustrated as applied to the entranceway of agarage;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan View in the direction of the arrows on theline 2"2 of Fig. showing the operating and supporting mechanism for thedoor and illustrating the door in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the door in openposition and partially broken away on the right-hand side of the figureso as to more clearly show the relative .positions'of the door panels; 5

Fig. 4 is a sectional of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view door and operating mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a partially diagrammatic representation of the operatingmechanism of the door;

Fig. 7 is a detailed plan View of the portion of the supporting andoperating mechanism shown on the left-hand side. of Fig. 6;,

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation on: the line 8-8 0 Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic representation of the door and the preferredform of locking mechanism used in connection therewith.

In the accompanying drawingswI have. illustrated my improved door It! asapplied to the plan view on the line 4 4 of the entranceway of agaragell 'butit should be understood :of course that doors embodying myinvention may be used inconnectionw'ith many different types ofbuildings. H

My door comprises one or moresectionseach of which is formed of aplurality of separate parallel panels. In the preferred form of myinvention as shown in thevdrawings the door is formed of two sections Aand B each of which in turn is formed of two separate pane1s,..thecentrally disposed panel of .each section being indicated by the numerall2 and theouter panel being indicated by the numeral. l4. .1v

The respective sections A and B together with the mountingsthereforaresimilar in construction being mirror images of eachother. andaccordingly a description of one will serve as a description of theother. The door sections are mounted'in an improved manner so as toshift towards and away from each other between closed and open position.I W'h en in closed position the panels are disposed side by side inabutting relationship and extend across the entranceway ofthe'structure. When in open position the two sections are disposed atthe two sides of and in back of the entranceway substantially atrightangles" to their closed position as shown most clearly in Fig'. 3.When in intermediate 'position the panels are spaced apart asshowni'nFig'l' 6 and indotted lines in Fig. 4; so as to'insur'e a tightfit between the panels when in closed position the abutting edges may berabbeted as indicated at 15. The door supporting mechanism. comprises aseparate hanger for each section and each comprising a rigid bar l6which is" offsetadjacent the two ends as indicated at H and I8. Each ofthe hangers l6 extends approximately the full length of its respectivesectionand is pivotally connected to the panels adjacent the opposite orouter edges of the upper portionof the panels by means of the springhinges 19. The spring hinges are provided with spiral springs 20 asshown most clearly in Figs. 7 and 8 which serve to urge panel "ofsection A- and panel l2 ofsection B in a clockwisedirection and panel l2of section A and panel M of section B in a counterclockwise direction.-a

The hangers are in turn supported from -th building structure so thateach door section may be shifted between open-and closed position andsuitable guiding mechanism is provided to guide the shifting. In thisconnection each hanger is provided with a :bracket 2|. which ispivotally connected to arm 22 whichin turn is mounted on the verticalrod 23 pivotally supported on the structure. Each rod 23 is supported sothat it and arm 22 may rotate through an arc 'of approximately 90thereby permitting hanger I6 to shift from a position extendingtransversely across one side of the entranceway to a positionsubstantially at right angles to the entranceway at one side and at theback thereof. To guide the shifting of the hangers in this manner Iprovide -apair of .guide tracks 24 -and 25 for each hanger, the .guidetracks 24 being disposed at right angles to the transverse axis of theentranceway at the sides thereof and guide tracks I being disposedtransversely of the entranceway extending inwardly from the two sidesthereof. Pivotally connected to the two ends of each hanger 16 are guideshoes 26 which ride in the respective guide tracks-as shown most clearlyin Figs. 6, 7 and 8. In this wayit will be seen that when the arm 22 isrotated the interengagement; :betweenzthe. guide shoe and. guidetracksnwillacause hanger lBato. shiftbetween .the two positionsidescribedtabove.

As previously statedt-aspring'i hinge connection I 9 :is provided.:between-.the far sends of the 'door panelsi in :each section and itshanger .l.6. This Wouldlnormally oausethe abutting .ends of .thepanelsiin'eachsectiomto rotate outwardly. In order'to" prevent thisanddnorder to guide the abutting ends :;of .the panels when the door isshifted between open and closed .position I vprovideiaourvedguidetrack.21for:each door section, suitably supportedaslforrinstance. on the guide tracks L 24 and-Z25 and which is engagedby the rollers 28 supported. on braCKets-Madjacent the upper portion ofthe abuttingedges-of the panels in-each section. "Thus it will be--seenthat when the door is-shifted between open and closed positions thehangers l fi and also the'panels I2 and I4 in each-section-of the *doorareguided in their movement'bythe-arm 22; the-shoes'26,'the rollers 28and the cooperating guide tracks--24',-25-and 21;

'When the doors are inclosed position the panels are in abuttingrelationship disposed transverselyof the entrancewayan'd the brackets I6 are: parallelto' the panels. "As: the door shifts to partlyopen'positionthepanels and hangers will'be arranged 'asshownin'tFigsBand'l and in dotted'lines in Fig. 4'with' thepanels in spacedrelationship. When the door is in fully opened position the severalparts will appear as shown inFigg3. 'The guide shoes, rollers and guidetracks cause thelpanels to shift tothe respective sides of theentranceway before shifting rearwardly substantially at right angles'tothe transverse axis of the entranceway. 'In this way the maximum amountof. space remains unobstructed at the front corners of the entrancewayeven when the door ispartially. open.

I have found it desirable to-give additional support to the panelsbyproviding a hanger 30 at thebottom of each section A and B. Thehangers shouldt-be of'rigidconstruction and are pivotally connected asby means of hinges 31 to. the lower portion of the panels-in therespective sections adjacent the extreme'orouter edges thereof. Thecentral portion of-zthe hanger'30 is connected as byzmeans 'of arm-32 tothe supporting rod 23. In this way when arm ;2 2 z'isrrotated the arm 32will likewise be caused' to'rotate' so that "hanger 30 'willshiftbetween open and closed'positions'in similar-manner to hanger l6-patthetop of the door. -In Fig: ithe hangers 30:are shown in fullyclosed-positionin full lines and inzpartia'llyiopen position in dottedlines. is indicated in Fig. 3.

The door supporting mechanism may be actuated in many different ways soas to shift the door between open and closed positions. A preferred formof actuating mechanism is indicated in the accompanying drawings. Thusreferring more specifically to Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 7 it will be seen thatI have provided a pair of levers 33 which are pivotally mounted adjacentthe center of the garage onithe' supporting frame 34 which in turn issupported from the building structure. The levers 33 have slidingconnection with the two arms 22. This connection may take the form of ashoe 35 pivotally connected to the end of eachlever and disposed in aguide track The fully open position "formed on each of the arms 22. Itwill thus be .seen that when-the levers 33 are pivoted forwardly towardseach other the arms 22 cause the hangers l6 and door panels to shift toclosed positionand when-the levers areZ-pivotedirearwardly-awayfrom-each other and ea wayyf-rom: the entranceway they causehangerclfirand the:door panels to shift to open position. This; movementof the levers 33-is-transmittedthrougnthezgshoes 35-which form slidingconnectionawiththezarms 22. The levers-33 are caused tOzDi-YOt-"QOWELIdSand away from each :otherin'; this manneroby means of the links-36"which-.-are pivotally-connected between: the 'leversand a slide 31.mounted for slide movement :upon :the 'frame n34. :It will be seenithatwhen-.-thegslide;-3'l:is shift'edrrearwardly through theactionwofrl-inks :3Bctheglevers are caused to pivot outwardiy. When:the'fslide131 is shifted-forwardly the .levers 33 are-caused to pivottowards eachother. -it:will be :seen that lay-shifting slide :31the-door .can zbe moved between open and 'closedrpositions.

The shifting of the slide 31 -mayi-be--;contro1led either manually orautomatically. --.In1the accompanying drawings I haveillustratedsacmanually operated control ,-mechanism;consisting of theoables-38-and 39 'connecteda-to the frontzandfrear of the slide and.extending- .aroundguide pulleys 40-whereby theslide may be shifted.:Thecables 38 and 39 terminate Hithe -members 1and"42 having handles 43andflformedathereon. The members 4| and" depend'downwardly insomeconvenient location I 34S-'f0ri instanceata-thefront of the garage toone side of-.-the;-ent-rancewayzand maybe'disposed inside-ofacompartment-having a cover 45 "whereby .the *compartmentrmay beopened or closed. Byrpulling the handle43idownwardly the slide r31. isshifted: forwardlyiand: the dooris closed. Bypulling Y the. handle :44downwardly the slide "is shiftedrrearwardlyxiandwthe door is opened. The-members? aI Id'iQZLaIE preferably; positioned in; guiderways 4 6 .asshown so as to prevent them from becoming tangled and so as 1 to holdthem in".'predeterminedrelationship.

So' that the, ,doors:-may.:alsd "be controlled from inside thegarageilzprovide iadditional cables ll and'48 connected "to the front=and rear of the slide-in the .same .manner as cables 38* and 39 andwhich. ex-tendbverthe iguide' rollers 49. The cables 41 and 48'terminate in ttle members 50 and 5| havingihandlesi52- and 53. Tite-members 50 and 5| depend idownwardly in some convenient location insidethe garage and areprefera'bly provided. with guide-ways 54-similar tothe guide ways 46; By: pulling the handle t'uZ- downwardly the door isclosed-- and --by-pulling thehandle '53 downwardly the; door' is opened.

: I alsoxprovi'de an 'improved loc'king mechanism for my door whichismost clearly shownin Fig. 9,.

and also in Figs. 1 and v5. The locking .mechanism preferably takes theform of detents or bolts, 55 and 56 pivotally mounted on the garage atthe two sides of the entranceway and engageable with the keepers 55secured to the outer edges of the two panels l4. The detents are urgedinto engagement with their respective keepers by means of spiral springs58 connected between the detents and the garage. To raise the detentsout of engagement with their keepers I provide a pair of bell cranks 59and 60 keyed to the shaft 5! which is suitably supported on the garageabove the entranceway. The bell crank 59 is connected to detent 55 byrod or cable 62 and the bell crank 60 is connected to detent 56 by rodor cable 63. Upon rotation of rod 6! in a counterclockwise direction asviewed in Fig. 9 the detents are raised upwardly and released fromengagement from their respective keepers thereby permitting the door tobe opened.

The rod 61 may be caused to rotate so as to release the detents in somesuitable manner as for instance by means of the handle 64 pivotallymounted at the front of the garage near the handles 43' and 44 inside ofthe door 45 and also by means of a handle 65 pivotally mounted insidethe garage adjacent the handles 52 and 53. The lever 64 is connected byrod or cable 65 to an arm 61 formed on bell crank 60. The lever 65 isconnected by rod or cable 68 to bell crank 69 pivotally mounted on thegarage and which in turn is connected by rod or cable Hi to arm 7| keyedon shaft 6|. By pressing either of levers 64 or 65 downwardly thedetents are released from engagement with their keepers. When pressureis removed from levers 64 and 65 the springs 58 cause the detents toreturn to their normal position.

As previously stated my improved door may be applied to the entrancewayof many different types of structures such as for instance the garageillustrated in the drawings. The door may be opened from either insideor outside the structure by shifting the handle 44 or the handle 53downwardly. Similarly the door may be closed by shifting either handle43 or 52 downwardly. It will be seen that when the door is in eitheropened or closed position the panels in each section are positioned sideby side and abut each other. In open position the two sections of thedoor are positioned on the two sides and to the rear of the entrancewayand are substantially at right angles to the closed position of thedoor. In an intermediate position between open and closed positions thepanels in each section are spaced apart. In shifting to open positioneach panel first shifts to the side of the entranceway and then shiftsrearwardly and does not cut across the front corner of the garage and inthis way utilizes a minimum of space even in partiailly open position.The door is eifectively and releasably retained in closed position bymeans of my improved locking mechanism and cannot be released unless thelevers 64 or 55 are pressed downwardly. The door 45 for the externalcompartment in which the handles 43, 44 and lever 64 are positioned maybe provided with a suitable look so that it may be opened only byauthorized persons.

It will be appreciated of course that many variations may be made in theillustrated and described embodiment of my invention. Thus instead of orin addition to the manually controlled operating mechanism motor drivenmechion. It will also be appreciated that difierent operating mechanismmay be provided for shift ing the door between closed and openpositions.

The doors may alsobe used in connection withv many different types ofstructures such as buildings of various types, cabinets, refrigeratorsor the like.

I claim:

1. A door for an entranceway or the like of a building comprising aplurality of separate panels positioned side by side in abuttingrelationship when in closed position, a rigid hanger pivotally connectedadjacent the opposite edges of a pair of adjoining panels, an armpivotally mounted adjacent one side of the entranceway and pivotallyconnected to the central portion of the hanger, guide means havingengagement with the two ends of the hanger, guide means for theadjoining edges of the said pair of door panels and means for shiftingthe said hanger whereby the pair of panels may be shifted from closedposition extending across the entranceway to open position at one sideof the entranceway substantially at right angles thereto.

2. A door for an entranceway or the like of a building comprising a pairof sections each consisting of a pair of parallel panels positioned sideby side in abutting relationship when in closed position, a pair ofrigid hangers pivotally connected adjacent the opposite edges of thepairs of panels in the respective sections, a pair of arms pivotallymounted adjacent the two sides of the entranceway, each being pivotallyconnected to the central portion of one of the hangers, guide meanshaving engagement with the two ends of the hangers, guide means for theadjoining edges of each pair of panels, and means for shifting thehangers whereby the panels in each section may be shifted towards andaway from each other between closed position extending across theentranceway and open position at the two sides of the entrancewaysubstantially at right angles thereto.

3. A door for an entranceway or the like of a building comprising aplurality of separate panels positioned side by side in abutting relationship when in closed position, a rigid hanger pivotally connectedadjacent the opposite edges of a pair of adjoining panels, an armpivotally mounted adjacent one side of the entranceway and pivotallyconnected to the central portion of the hanger, guide means parallel tothe transverse axis of the entranceway extending inwardly from one sidethereof and having engagement with a member secured adjacent one end ofthe hanger, guide means disposed at right angles to the transverse axisof theentranceway and extending rearwardly from one side thereof andhaving engagement with a member secured to the other end of the hanger,guide means comprising a guide track mounted adjacent and havingportions parallel to the above-mentioned guide means and havingengagement with rollers mounted adjacent the abutting edges of the pairof panels, and means for shifting the hanger whereby the pair of panelsmay be shifted between closed position extending across the entrancewayand open position at one side of the entranceway substantially at rightangles thereto.

4. A door for an entranceway or the like of a building comprising aplurality of separate, parallel panels adapted to extend across theentranceway, a hanger pivotally connected to each of the panels, an armpivotally mounted adiacent -one side of the entraneeway and'pivotaliyconn'ectedio the central portion of the hanger for shifting the hanger.from a, position adjacent the entrancewayto a'positionat 'one side'ofthe entran'ceway and means for guiding and "supporting fiche hanger sothat; when the hangeris shifted the=panelsare caused to shift fromelosedposition extending across the entranceway 430 open positionatone-sideand to :iihe' back (if-the entrancewayi 93ndsubstantialiyat-rightvang'les to their closed position, said panels being in abuttingrelationship when in fully-opened and closed positions b'ut -"'being :in:spaced relationship when in interm ediate'- position.

YJQHN H. LOMAX.

